Is PC gaming really dead?

[Stan_Lite]

I hope not.

I prefer to play FPS games and they are much better on the PC as far as controls etc go (or maybe it's just that I'm crap with the console controllers ).

Having come late to the gaming scene, I have a great many great games to catch up on and hopefully many more in the future.

If consoles evolve into keyboard and mouse operation, I will be quite happy with that - it's certainly much cheaper to buy a console than it is to buy a good quality gaming PC - hell, I paid (considerably) more for my current graphics card than it costs to buy a 360 Premium with two games, never mind the rest of the system.

Stan

[Admiral Huddy]

Originally Posted by Daz

While that may be true, the market is unfortunately diminishing - the mass market play their games in their living rooms, on their TV's, with their consoles. And with a level playing field like standard controllers, the argument for keyboards and mice in games doesn't really matter so much.

[edit]What Haly said

This is so true.. As Daz has already said and admits that OOTB gaming is simply much easier for the consumer. For the developers, having a single configuration must be much simplier and cost productive than a PC. At the end of the day, it does come down to mass market and cost. The cost of producing a PC game must be a lot more than a console just because of it's infinate possible configurations. That said, I read somewhere that the irony is that the PC has become a console development tool

[Matblack]

PCs are dying but I don't think they will ever disappear from the gaming market, 2 years ago I would have said long live the PC but now I am happy with my 360 and Wii, keeping the PC up to date is now too expensive a proposition and I can't justify it. The PC is a tool for downloading and watching movies etc. I can't see the console ever taking over that but there will need to be a MASSIVE breakthrough in PC technology for me to buy back into PCs, it will be interesting to see how this effects the processor market in years to come, we are already seeing a move towards lower power consumption will this take over from raw power?

MB

[Daz]

When you say buy back into PC's, I presume you mean from a gaming point of view MB?

[Vaultingslinky]

Originally Posted by Daz

While that may be true, the market is unfortunately diminishing - the mass market play their games in their living rooms, on their TV's, with their consoles. And with a level playing field like standard controllers, the argument for keyboards and mice in games doesn't really matter so much.

[edit]What Haly said

What I was trying to say though, that mice and keyboards may become standard pepherials in later console generations though, so there will be a level playing field.

From my point of view, as a student, I sold my PC and bought a 360 because I couldn't afford to buy into all the upgrades. However I really enjoyed online games such as counterstrike purely due to the control system and all the mods around. And so at some point in the future when I can afford to maintain a gaming PC I will, unless of course this kind of thing is made available to consoles as I am enjoying the overall console experience more than PC gaming at the moment due to its diversity!

I hope that makes some kind of sense, it does in my head!

[Matblack]

Originally Posted by Daz

When you say buy back into PC's, I presume you mean from a gaming point of view MB?

Pretty much but from an upgrade POV too, once I have a C2D based system the PC will be able to sling video at 1080p which will keep us sorted for a few years to come. I certainly won't be upgrading to bleading edge technology again, if I do upgrade it will be for more storage space than anything else.

MB

[Daz]

Originally Posted by Vaultingslinky

What I was trying to say though, that mice and keyboards may become standard pepherials in later console generations though, so there will be a level playing field.

With two different input devices (ie, keyboard and mouse combo and controller) then nobody can reasonably argue level playing field. You only get that if everyone is using the same input device.

Though of course, the counter argument to that is the wireless steering wheel for driving games. Though it of course adds to the simulation aspect, and to do that in an fps would require a gun and a holodeck

Might be drifting off topic, sorry Admiral

[semi-pro waster]

I haven't been gaming much on my PC recently as I can't afford to buy new games (and to a certain extent the technology to run them) but I don't think it will disappear entirely, the PC still does certain genres better but I do think it will diminish further in certain areas purely because of the massive market that consoles have never mind the fact you just play without any patching etc. It is comparatively easy to program a game on a console and get it looking good where you have an unchanging set of parameters to work within rather than the PC where there is an almost unlimited amount of hardware combinations.

I'm not too worried about PC gaming being dead, this is an argument that has been around since I bought my first PC and I expect it will probably continue for many years to come. Markets change and adapt but PC gaming won't die entirely, it might move in different directions (maybe more fan produced games or episodic games?) but there is too large a base and too much interest for it to disappear totally.

From a personal point of view I'd be disappointed if I thought that FPS games were going to be primarily on consoles from now on because I detest using a joypad to control them, maybe I'm a malcoordinated fool (quite likely) but nothing seems as 'natural' as using a keyboard and mouse.

//edit Haha just noticed the correction to my lack of coordination.

[Stan_Lite]

Originally Posted by Daz

With two different input devices (ie, keyboard and mouse combo and controller) then nobody can reasonably argue level playing field. You only get that if everyone is using the same input device.

The same can, of course, be said for PC gaming. Programmable joypads have been available for PCs for many years (I have one with about 3 inches of dust on it), did these cause a major unleveling of the playing field?

Some of us prefer the keyboard/mouse combo and some prefer the joypad option. At the end of the day, if you can afford £300 for a console and £20-£50 for each game, you can afford £20 for a keyboard and a mouse if you feel it gives you an advantage.

Stan

[Vaultingslinky]

Originally Posted by Daz

With two different input devices (ie, keyboard and mouse combo and controller) then nobody can reasonably argue level playing field. You only get that if everyone is using the same input device.

By standard, I guess I meant included with the console (which is of course very unlikely to happen...but hypothetically ), you have a level playing field, you can either gimp yourself with the joypad or use keyboard/mouse.

I do understand the whole unlevel playing field arguement, but as stan said, a keyboard and mouse are inexpensive, and I would bet on most 360 owners already having a keyboard and mouse they could use (well maybe not a usb keyboard, but I for one after mothballing my gaming PC still have a gaming mouse lieing about somewhere). I would love it if I could play vegas or something with a keyboard/mouse combo (only of course if every other player could, not through some 3rd party device)

Either way this is ever so slightly OT so ill pipe down now